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Help! I have no idea what I am doing.

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I am a heavily pregnant homesteading noob. I just moved out to my land, parked my RV, and started setting up utilities.

I have bought a 3,000 gallon water tank, hooked up my guttering, and bought equipment for my pump house (32 gallon pressure tank, tee manifold with a shut off valve, and two filter systems for sedament).

I have never done plumbing in my life, but after extensive research and the help of a friend, I know how to connect the guttering to the water tank and the pump house to the house. What I do not know is how to get water from the rainwater tank to the pump house. Someone asked me if I was going to have a sump pump in the rainwater tank to pump water out to the well house. It was my understanding I didn't need antthing to pump water out - just PVC pipe connecting the water tank to the pumphouse system. I was under the impression that water would naturally flow with no problem into the pumphouse in the same way the water naturally flows from my guttering to my rainwater tank.

Am I right, or do I need to purchase an extra pump to pump water out of the tank into the pump house?
 
pollinator
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Water is always going to flow freely downhill, and not uphill, so if the exit on your water tank is low, and it is above your pump house, it will flow on it's own.  If the exit from your water tank is at or near the top, you will need to pump it out.

If you can post some pictures, people will be able to tell you exactly what to do.  Even drawings will work as long as they show the relationships between your water tank, pump house, and house as far as elevation goes.
 
gardener
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More info is needed. You didnt mention a pump in the pump house, then you mentioned a pump.

What kind of pump do you have? It should suck the water from the tank and send it through to the pressure tank depending on height and distance.

You will need a one way valve (back flow preventer) and a pressure switch. Sometimes they are built into the pump. Make sure you have both. Other wise the system will keep cycling on off on off on off.

Also, some pumps will shut themselves off if tank runs out of water. Others won't. If it runs out of water and pump keeps running it will  burn out the motor. If its a basic system and you turn it on/off as needed this is not as important.
 
pollinator
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Couple of things to take note about.
Intsall a gate valve at the bottom of the wall of the tnk so it can be used when ever you are working on the system.
I asume your are in a freeeze free area.
Then fit a flexible bit of hose between that valve and any pipe work to the pump house.

You could use a submersible pump fitted inside the tank which would discharge via a hole near the top of the tank, which maybe what one of your suggestions was about.
But in your case I would use the first method I spoke of.
gift
 
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